Visiting Health Lectureship presented by John Santa, M.D.: "The Oregon Health Plan: A National Model?"

September 17, 2000

Leaders of the medical and health care community, as well as the public, are invited to attend a Visiting Health Lectureship presented by John Santa, M.D., administrator of the Office for Oregon Health Plan, Policy and Research.

Sponsored by Wright State University School of Medicine, Sinclair Community College, and the Shiloh Church, the lecture will be held at Shiloh Church, 5300 Philadelphia Drive at North Main Street, on Sunday, October 22 at 7:30 p.m. A reception will follow the lecture.

Dr. Santa's presentation, "The Oregon Health Plan: A National Model?" will discuss the role and responsibility of government, business and individuals in the health care of our society. Some of the issues he will include are:

Should everyone have a guaranteed basic level of health care with some able to buy more than basic coverage--or should some people have a lot and others have none?
What tradeoffs should individuals, government and businesses be willing to make to obtain the goal of universal coverage?
Is it time for physicians to accept the reality that we need a more diverse delivery system if we are to provide reasonable health care to all?
Is the Oregon Health Plan a model for Ohio or the nation?

The Oregon Health Plan was passed as a state referendum by the people of the State of Oregon. Oregon has been successful in significantly decreasing the number of uninsured, controlling costs, and in generating support for health care providers by
Oregon legislators and the public. Their health care plan is systematically ranked. More care is provided by the state for certain disorders, while the state has refused to pay for other lower-ranked health care. A recent case has received significant national attention: the plan denied healthcare for a double-organ transplant in an indigent teenager with Cystic Fibrosis.

Dr. Santa is available for media phone interviews prior to this event, contact Wright State University School of Medicine at 775-2951 to arrange an interview.